


The Blank Space

by Anonymous



Category: X-Force (Comics), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, M/M, Not Beta Read, One True Pairing, Other, References to Torture, Swearing, author is a dumb bitch that must be stopped, to soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-03-10 21:38:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13510272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Humans have undergone two levels of mutations. The first are dubbed "Dynamic", known for their ability to engage in heightened interactions between each other, and for their six genders.The second level of mutation was dubbed "Mutant". In an attempt to improve their relations with homo saphiens, Dynamics often distance themselves from Mutants, calling them a failed race due to their lack of alphas and erratic power sets.Julio Richter just considers himself lucky Dynamics can't tell he's Mutant.Set during X-Force Volume 1





	The Blank Space

**Author's Note:**

> 60-second world building:
> 
> "Dynamics" follow general alpha/beta/omega gender rules, with betas most similar to regular humans physically. Alphas and omegas can appear traditionally male or female, but alphas cannot get pregnant and omegas cannot impregnate others. 
> 
> Mutants are evolved from Dynamics. Dynamics are believed to have appeared two to three thousand years ago, with Mutants a relatively new occurrence. Therefore, all Mutants are Dynamic, but not all Dynamics are Mutant. 
> 
> Mutants have a disproportionately low ratio of omegas-to-betas, and only one publicly known alpha, Emma Frost.

Being caged is terrible. No one likes it, but during Rictor’s time away from the various X-gangs, he’d done some self-discovery (he read some alpha self-help books) and found out that alphas, in particular, suffered from prolonged exposure to their own alpha scent. Maybe it explained why he hated himself so much.

 

Rhane was coming down to talk to them, which was just great. Just freaking great. What could be worse than her fighting him, a battle she’d obviously win considering he could never hurt her, then coming down to see him caged? She was obviously upset, as her scent was lingering in the doorway while she hid out of sight. Ric could practically hear her internal debate.

 

He hadn’t had any downtime between getting recruited, saving Roberto’s life, and getting dragged into this X- fight. His natural instincts begged him to spend time with the team, learn about them and, ugh, _scent_ them, but he hasn’t had the time. He didn’t even know the alien, Shatterstar, had healing abilities until two hours previous when Wolverine gutted the poor guy like a fish.

 

At the very least, the X-Men had at least the sympathy to put him in a cage directly next to Roberto. Roberto only just been saved from kidnapping and torture, trauma that Ric could directly relate to, and his instincts were soothed by finally getting to spend time near the aggressive beta.

 

While Roberto often had unusual alpha scents and tendencies, this aspect of his Dynamic was now muted. He wanted to comfort him, but at the same time, Roberto was just so annoying when it came to stuff like this. Whereas Rictor came from a family of humans, mutations passed on through an absent mother, Berto was raised by a family with a history of the Dynamic gene, brought up to be an alpha even after he’d presented as a beta. Rictor would trade places with him if he could.

 

“I wish we could be seein’ you again under different circumstances” Rhane said, finally making her appearance and snapping Rictor out of his thoughts. From what his books taught him, an omega’s presence was supposed to soothe alphas. But Rictor just felt angry as Rhane continued her little speech.

 

“You’re wasting your breath, Rhaney,” he snapped. Though separated visually through the wall, Rictor heard Roberto shift, leaning against the bars of his own cell. He was equally annoyed, and his faintly alpha scent passed between them, too faint for Rhane but strong enough that Rictor’s nostrils flared, rage immediately directed at Berto instead. Against all odds, it soothed his feelings against Rhane enough to allow him to calmly explain that the two of them had barely joined X-Force, that her fight was not against them. Luckily, Rhane recognized his reluctance to speak on the topic, and they were able to brush her off without consequence.

 

On his other side, Terry was having a heated argument with Jamie Madrox over her relationship with one of his dupes. Rictor tried to ignore the private conversation, but…yikes. He took a moment to flip his hair in her direction. It wasn’t much, but the scent let her know that she had an alpha nearby for her. Maybe Madrox would catch that hint too. He could probably vibe him out of existence. He wouldn’t, but, it was the thought that counted, no? Dios, his alpha pheromones really were just getting worse with age. Maybe he shouldn’t be working out so much. Now he had extra testosterone too.

 

Sam decided to march in at that moment, worried that the team was getting stir crazy. They were. But Sam didn’t have any way of cheering them up, so they glared at him until Berto took pity on his best friend and gave him an opportunity to leave by muttering, “We’re fine, Sam. Just…Fine.”

 

Irritating as it was to be in “holding cells” while Sam negotiated their freedom, he was a surprisingly easy person to follow. He was strong, and tough to his opponents, but endlessly sweet to his friends. And it was clear that to him, every member of the team was his friend. He posed no threat to any member of the team, and, as an added bonus, he’d had Rictor show off his powers by straight blasting an external out of their ship the day after being recruited.

 

Rictor massaged his hands at the memory. Soon. He’d be free to get out and blast shit again, soon.

 

With the makeshift prison finally free of visitors, the team settled into aggravated silence. Rictor decided to actually try out some advice from his books by sitting on the floor and taking this rare opportunity to sniff everyone out. He didn’t have super senses by any means, but as an alpha, he could recognize everyone while in such close quarters. Or, well, he should. He was familiar with Roberto, Terry, and Jimmy, and was proud to be able to pinpoint them without much hassle, aided by the fact that Terry was sniffling, and they were in various degrees of physical pain and emotional turmoil.

 

As for the new guys, well. Feral was a literal half animal, and she sure smelled like it, too. Rictor spent some time trying to distinguish whether he was using his alpha Dynamic to scent her or if she just smelled so strongly that his normal human senses could smell her.

 

“What are you doing over there, pretty boy?”

 

Rictor stiffened, Feral probably had a sense of smell and hearing to rival Wolverine, and if she had noticed what he was up to he would be dead embarrassed.

 

But instead, it was Shatterstar who responded with a growl against the nickname. Apparently Feral had several nicknames for the guy, and Rictor couldn’t help being relieved at Shatterstar’s expense.

 

He hated being reminded of how useless of an alpha he was, especially considering he was one out of only two known mutant alphas. And especially especially considering how bad ass the other alpha was. He hoped she never found out about him. If she did, she’d probably be able to get inside his head from a mile away and make him eat the barrel of a gun. End him without a second thought to his miserable existence.

 

From the other side of the wall, Roberto issued a long-winded lip-trill, his scent strong enough that Rictor suspected he was purposely being signaled. Considering how close they were, Roberto was probably being affected by Ric’s bummed out mood.

 

Rictor huffed, scooting towards the back of his cell where he could continue his self-training in peace. Where was he? -Roberto kept making that annoying horse noise with his mouth-. Yes. Berto, Terry, Feral, Jimmy. Judging from the amount of space between Feral and Jimmy, Shatterstar had to be between them. So if he just, made Berto shut up-

 

“Shut the fuck up!”

 

-Good. Now if he just rode this wave of silence before the team realized he’d used his alpha Dynamic on them-

 

“Fuck you, Ric.”

 

“Who do ye think ye are, then?”

 

“Well, who’s a big boy now?”

 

“Fuckin’ bitch.”

 

Well that didn’t last long. But then, any good alpha should be able to recognize their people even while everyone screamed at him, no? Ignoring the fresh wave of anger that spread through the group, he refocused on finding Shatterstar’s scent. It probably would’ve been easier if the guy joined the fray since he’d be able to cheat using his hearing, but no luck. Either Rictor really was stupid, or the guy’s scent was incredibly weak. He was obviously in the cells with them, he had just snapped at Feral. But.

 

But.

 

Giving in, Rictor took advantage of the din of complaints, and sucked in a huge breath through his nose, mouth opening and jaw unhinging slightly as he let his Dynamic take over to seek out his new teammate. But the man couldn’t be found.

 

“True warriors respect the strategy of their leaders!” Shatterstar snarled, finally put up with the lot of them. “We must wait patiently for Samuel Gunthrie’s return.”

 

Rictor was frozen solid. His own shock reverberating through the tiny space and stunned the betas into silence. He wondered if they knew, he wondered what Jimmy’s super senses found. Because with a loud, furious voice like that, Shatterstar should have been easily scented to Ric. But he wasn’t, because he couldn’t be.

 

Because, Rictor realized with growing shock, Shatterstar had no scent.

**Author's Note:**

> Some dialogue taken directly from X-Force #17


End file.
